Call Me Picky, But...

A couple months ago, I sang at the funeral of a wonderful woman I've known all my life named Christamae.  Almost every church memory I have as a child includes her.  She died in June, leaving her husband of almost 70 years.  Paul never really had much interest in life after he lost her, and died last Friday.  His funeral was today, and I sang with my daddy and sister.  Truth be told though, I had a hard time being sad.  I'm not hard-hearted or anything.  Funerals are usually my undoing.  It's just that this Saturday (Sept. 11) will be their 70th anniversary, and it makes my heart smile to know that they will be celebrating it together in Heaven.  Besides that, it's hard to be sad when you think about how sweet that reunion had to be.

As I've said before, I can't imagine being in love with anyone for 70 years.  (Honestly, I can't really imagine being in love with someone for one year at the moment.)  However, I do believe that kind of love exists, because I've seen it with my own two eyes.  I know that a lot people my age aren't privileged enough to come from homes or even know many examples at all of homes that haven't been broken by divorce.  But I am blessed enough to have several examples--my grandparents, parents, my second family (Happy Anniversary again, Sandy and Jason!), my friends.  Perhaps that's why my own standards are so high when it comes to love and marriage and the like.  I don't believe that marriage is disposable.  If and when I make that choice, I want to know that we are going to do everything in our power to make it last. 

I get that sometimes it doesn't, and that divorce is the best option.  I'm not sitting here saying anything about people who get divorced, trust me.  But, personally, for me, I want to know that the guy I choose is in it for the long haul.  I'm not all starry-eyed about marriage.  I get that relationships are work.  And it's precisely because of it's work that I want to make sure that I don't go running head long into just anything.  I want to be sure that when and if God sees fit for me to get married that I am marrying the right guy.  Admittedly, my standards are high.  (Even my closest friends have called me picky.)  But honestly, I'm okay with that.  Because if you are willing to accept anything, then that's exactly what you will get.  And I don't want to settle for that. 

Because I know true love exists.  I've seen it.  And when you've seen it, you aren't interested in any imitations.